Internal-combustion engine.



J. V. LAVIOLETTE.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED PBB.24,1910.

977,885. Patented Deo. 6, 1910. ITEM.

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JOSEPH VALENTIN LAVIOLETTE,- `OIE' AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOR T0 IN- DUSTRIEELE MAATSCHAPPIJ TROMPENBURG, 0F AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, (A

LIMITED COMPANY OF NETHERLANDS.)

' INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.-

Patented Dec. 6, 1910. 545,699.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VALENTIN LAVIOLETTE, a subject of the King of Belgium, residing at 51 Sarphatipark, Amsterdam, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines ofthe fourcycle type wherein the operating parts are inclosed for the purposes of reducing the noise of operation, of protecting the parts from dust and consequent undue wear, and of dispensing with the usual long cam shafts for operating the valves.

The object of the invention is an engine construction wherein the valve operating mechanism is inclosed -in the crank case and is organized in a novel manner-for the purpose of simplifying the valve operating construction per se, and incident-ally providing for a simpler organization of the engine as a whole.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line I-I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the lines III-IV-V-VI of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of a preferred and self-contained organization of valve operating mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 2 but showing an alternative organization of valve operating mechanism.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The engine cylinders are associated in pairs with the casting 12 and the latter is imposed upon the crank case 18. The adjacent portions of the casting 12 and crank case 18 are flanged to provide for the ready connection of these parts as well as for an efficient cylinder supporting and centering bed. The crank shaft l is journaled in the lower portion of the crank case, as usual, and is driven by the pistons in the usual manner. The lower portions of the cylinders project into the crank case, as shown in Fig. 1, to a point which is approximately teeth of relatively steep pitch, the gear wheel 2 coacting `with the mechanism which controls the valves of theleft hand pair of cylinders and the gear wheel 3 similarly coacting with the mechanism which controls the valves of the right hand pair of cylinders. The wheels 2 and 3 are mounted concent-rically upon the crank shaft l and 0f course turn therewith. The parts of the valve operating organizations which are directly driven by the gear wheels 2 and 3 are the helical pinions 4 and 5 respectively, mounted on shafts 6 and 7 respectively, the shafts 6 and 7 extending at right angles to the crank shaft and the gear wheels 4 and 5 being so proportioned that they revolve at twice the speed of the gear wheels 2 and 3. The gear wheel 4 and its shaft 6 are associated with the operating organization which controls the valves of the left hand pair of cylinders and the gear wheel 5 with its shaft 7 are associated with the organization which controls the valves of the right hand pair of cylinders.

The only difference between the forms of construction shown .in Figs. 4 and 5 is that in the former case, the valve operating organization is self-contained and is of course assembled for independent removal and .replacement, whereas in the latter case, the valve operating organization is suspended from the cylinders.

Taking up first the construction shown in Fig. 5, it will be noted that the valve operating shaft, e. g. shaft 6, is journaled in bearings which are pendent from the cylinders and have -a mean position with respect thereto. The inlet valves of the cylinders are designated generally by the numeral 13 andthe exhaust valves of the cylinders are designated generally by the numeral 14, the valves 13 being disposed at one side of the cylinders and the valves 14 being disposed at the opposite side of the cylinders. The stems of the valves located at the same side of the cylinders, are disposed in parallel relationl and have a somewhat close association, their lower ends restin upon operating tafppetathe tappets whic control the stems o the Atwo valves 13 being designated by the numeral 15 and the tappetswhich control the stems of the two va1ves14 being designated by the' numeral 16. The tappets 15 and 16 in the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, are pivoted upon pins, as 17which project laterally from the cylinder casting and theyare operated by cams, as 8 and 9, respectively, which are mounted upon oppo. s1te ends of the shaft 6 or 7 as the case may be, and which act directly upon rollers that are provided on said tap ets.

The operating parts o the valve operating organization 1n the construction shown in Fig. 4, are similar both as to construction and relation, to the parts shown in Fig. 5. In the construction shown in Fig. 4, however, the valve operating shaft or 7 as the case may be, is journaled in bearings which are provided on a bridge member, as 21. The latter extends transversely of the crank case and has its ends formed as saddle pieces 22'for en agement inconformably shaped openings 1n the walls ofthe crank case, in which openin s said saddle pieces are secured by bolt astenings 23, the bridge member 21 being thus held rigidly in position.

4The bridge member 21 is provided with lat- .erally projecting pins, as 24 and 25, which are disposed above the upper face of said bridge member and upon which the tappets 15 and 16 aforesaid are mounted.

Access to the valve operating organization is had by means of openings 19 provided at each side of the crank case and normally closed by plates, as 20. In the use of the construction shown in Fig. 4, it is preferred to form threads upon the ends of the pins 24 and 25 and to pass said threaded ends through openings 1n the closure plates 20, rctaining nuts as shown in Fig. 2, bein@ provided upon the threaded ends of the pins 24 and 25 and bearing against the plates 20.

The construction above described is of extremely simple nature and enables the four valves of a group -of two cylinders to be controlled. by means of a pair of cams, the one coacting with the admission valves and the other coacting with the exhaust valves while at the same time it 'may be conveniently assembled with respect to the enine or anizat-ion in a position wherein it 1s readi y accessible and it may furthermore be of self-contained nature in order that the operating mechanism as an entiret may be removed or replaced independent y of the rest of the en ne organization.

Having ful y described my invention, I claim:

1. In an internal combustion en ine, a

crank case, a cylinder casting secure thereon and having parallel cylinder portions projecting thereinto, a crank shaft journaled in the crank case, cylinder admission valves arranged in pairs at one side of the casting, cylinder exhaust valves `arranged in pairs at the opposite side of the casting, mechanism inclosed in the crank -case for operating the valves and including a pair of pivoted tappets for each pair of valves and upon which the stems of the latter engage, a valve operating shaft arrangedl under the cylinder portions in alinement with the space between the latter and disposed at a rlght anglevto the crank shaft, a helical gear wheel mounted on the crank shaft, a helical gear wheel mounted centrally on the valve operating shaft and in mesh with and driven bythe lirst named gear wheel, a cam provided at one end of "the valve operating shaft to control the admission valve tappets, and a cam provided at the other end of the valve operating shaft to control the exhaust valve l tappets, the crank case having openings to rovide for access to the valve operating mec anism, and closure plates for the openings.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a'

crank case, a cylinder casting secured thereon and having parallel cylinder portions projecting thereinto, a crank shaft journaled in the crank case,1cylinder admission valves arranged in pairs at one side of the casting, cylinder exhaust valves arranged` in pairs at the opposite side of the casting, mechanism inclosed in the crank case for operating the valves and including a pair of pivoted tappets for each pair of valves and upon which the stems of thc latter engage, a valve operating shaft arranged under the cylinder portions in alinement with the space between the latter and disposed at a right angle to the crank shaft, a helical Gear wheel mounted on the crank shaft, a heical gear wheel mounted centrally on the valve operating shaft and in mesh with and driven by the first named rear wheel, a cam provided at one end of the valve operating shaft to control the admission valve tappets, a cam provided at' the other end of the valve operating shaft to control the exhaust valve tappets, and a bridge member carrying the valve operating shaft and the tappets and supported in the crank case for removal therefrom, the crank case having openings to provide for access to the valve operating mechanism and closure plates for the openmgs.

v3. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a cylinder casting secured thereon and having cylinder. portions projecting thereinto, a crank shaft journaled in the crank case, cylinder admission valves arranged in pairs at one side of the casting, cylinder exhaust valves arranged in pairs at the opposite side of the casting, mechanism inclosed in the crank case for operati ing the valves and including a pair of pivoted tappets for each pair of valves and a *upon which -the stems of the latter engage,

^ the crank shaft and the valve operating shaft, to drivethe latter from the-former and cams carried by the valve operating shaft for engagement with the tappets, the

crank case having openings to provide for access to the valve operating mechanism,

. and closure plates for the openings.

,4. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a cylinder casting secured thereon and having cylinder portions projecting thereinto, a crank shaft journaled in the crank case, cylinder admission valves arranged in pairs atone side of the casting, cylinder exhaust valves arranged in pairs at the opposite side of the casting, mechanism inclosed in the crank case for operating the valves and includin a pair of pivoted tappets for each pair o valves and upon which the stems ofthe latter engage, a valve operating shaft arranged under the cylinder portions and disposed at' a right angle to the crank shaft, gearing between the crank shaft and the valve operating shaft, to drive the latter from the former, cams carriedby the valve operating shaft for engagement with the tappets, and a bridge member carrying lthe valve operating shaft and supported in the crank case for removal therefrom.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a cylinder casting secured there- 0n and lhaving a pair of cylinder portions projecting into the crank oase the lower ends of said cylinder portions being in a plane of Y location approximately coincident with the middle points of the piston rods when the latter are in their uppermost positions, cylinder admission and exhaust valves, a crank shaft journaled in the lower portion of thecrank case, and Valve operating mechanism driven by the crank shaft, the valve operating mechanism being inclosed in the crank case between the crankshaft and the cylinder portions and being arranged be-` tween the pistons which work in said cylinder portions. v

6.` In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a cylinder castin secured thereon and having a pair of cjglinder portions projecting into the crank case the lower ends of said cylinder portions bein in a plane .of location approximately coincident with the middle points of the piston `rods when the latter are in their uppermost positions, cylinder admission and exhaust valves, acrank shaft journaled in the lower portion of the crank case, valve operating mechanism driven by the crankshaft, the valve operating mechanism being inclosed in the crank case between the crank case and the cylinder portions and being arranged between the pistons which work in said cylinder portions, and a bridge member carrying the valve operating mechanism and supported in the crank case for removal therefrom.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a cylinder casting secured thereon vand having a pair of cylinder portions projecting into the crank case the lower ends of said cylinder portions being in a plane of location a proximately coincident with the middle points of the piston rods when the latter are in their uppermost positions, cylinder admission and exhaust valves, acrank shaft journaled in the lower portion of the crank case, valve operating mechanism driven by the crank shaft,'the valve operating mechanism being inclosed in the crank case between the crank shaft and the cylinder portions and bein arranged between the pistons which work 1n said cylinder portions, the crank case having openings to provide for access to the Valve operating mechanism and closure plates for the openings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH VALENTIN LAVIOLETTE.

Witnesses:

THOMAS H. VERHAVE, S. vAN BIEMA, Jr. 

